Turkey Mushroom Gravy

"I have been making Thanksgiving dinner every year since the 1970's. I have tried every kind of turkey gravy. I created this recipe about 15 years ago. It is everyone's favorite, even the people who hate mushrooms. Serve with roasted turkey and cornbread stuffing!"

Directions

Melt butter in a large stock pot over medium-low heat, and cook the mushrooms until they are browned and the butter is clear, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the mushrooms, coarsely chop them, and set aside. There should be about 1 cup of butter left in the stock pot; whisk the flour into the butter, and gently cook over low heat until the flour mixture turns mahogany brown in color, about 20 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth; bring the mixture to a simmer to thicken the stock.

Pour the turkey drippings into a saucepan, then cook and stir the onions and celery in the drippings over medium-low heat until the onions begin to turn brown, about 20 minutes. Stir the drippings and vegetables into the thickened stock. Bring the gravy to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the chopped mushrooms, then season to taste with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Footnotes

Editor's Note

The amount of drippings from a roasted turkey can vary; this recipe assumes about 1 1/2 cups of drippings. If there's more than 3 cups, reduce the amount of chicken broth by 1 can; if there's only 1/2 cup, add 1 more can of broth.

This is almost exactly like my recipe, except I cook the onions WITH the mushrooms and then puree the entire mixture for about 10 minutes until it's completely liquified. I add this back to the turkey broth/chicken bullion mixture once it's thickened with flour. Add about 1/4 cup of white wine. Result? No chunks, just nice, smooth gravy with tons of mushroom flavor released due to the puree.

I didn't put in the onions or celery (although I did have onions and celery in my turkey stock). Instead of chicken stock, I used sweet potato water and potato water. I forgot to add the cayenne and wish I had but it was still amazing gravy.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.